SEScoops

Category: AEW

  • Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi Being ‘Considered’ for AEW All Out PPV

    Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi Being ‘Considered’ for AEW All Out PPV

    AEW is reportedly looking at a major AEW vs NJPW match for their upcoming All Out PPV event on September 5th. Hiroshi Tanahashi made an appearance in a pre-taped segment on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, and according to Dave Meltzer, Moxley will be facing the Japanese legend at the PPV in Chicago.

    “What I do know is that fairly recently, at 4am, Jon Moxley had a discussion” Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio. “I don’t know the night, I think it was the night of the taping – with Tony Khan.”

    “He had an idea for a match which I believe is for the September 5 pay-per-view. And Tony Khan liked the idea. I knew it was a top New Japan wrestler, I didn’t know the name of who it was, but I know about the discussion” Meltzer concluded.

    Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

    With Jon Moxley calling out Tanahashi on this week’s episode of Dynamite, it appears as though this is the aforementioned match that Meltzer was alluding to.

    All of the recent excitement surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson signing with AEW means that this news has been lost somewhat in the shuffle, but it is arguably the biggest match in the ‘Forbidden Door’ angle thus far.

    What do you think of Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi on an AEW PPV? Let us know in the comments

  • Cain Velasquez Making a Return To Wrestling For AAA Promotion

    Cain Velasquez Making a Return To Wrestling For AAA Promotion

    Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and one time WWE Superstar Cain Velasquez has revealed that he will soon be making his return to pro wrestling, although not with WWE.

    Speaking on In the Corner with Cyrus Fees, the former UFC Heavyweight confirmed that he will be making a returning to Mexican promotion AAA.

    “I’m doing a show in December for AAA,” Velasquez revealed on the podcast. “For me, I love AAA and I’m going to keep doing that right now.”

    “I love WWE as well, but I have to first develop myself in order for me to go out there” Cain Velasquez continued. “I’m going to keep doing stuff and have fun with it.”

    Cain Velasquez Returns To AAA

    Cain Velasquez joined AAA back in 2019, before making his way to WWE. Velasquez signed a three match deal with the promotion.

    The former UFC Heavyweight Champion made his first appearance for AAA at TripleMania XXVII, where he teamed with AEW’s Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown to take on Black Taurus, Karrion Kross and Texano Jr.

    Velasquez was released from WWE back in April 2020, after only having one televised match against Brock Lesnar that only lasted 88 seconds. That contest took place at Crown Jewel 2019, where Tyson Fury also faced former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman.

    Interestingly, AAA has an ongoing working relationship with AEW, IMPACT and NWA as part of the ‘forbidden door’ angle. Although it isn’t likely right now, we may well see Velasquez appear on an All Elite Wrestling show at some point in the future.

    Hager vs Velasquez in a cage anyone?

    Do you think that Cain Velasquez will one day be brought back to WWE? Let us know in the comments

  • Original Bullet Club Members Trade Shots On Twitter

    Original Bullet Club Members Trade Shots On Twitter

    “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga are 2 of the original 4 members of Bullet Club. Anderson left NJPW in 2016 for WWE, however, setting the stage for the Guerrillas of Destiny to take over as the faction’s top heavyweight tag team.

    Now, however, Anderson is in the Elite with former Bullet Club members Kenny Omega, Doc Gallows, and the Young Bucks. On Impact Wrestling recently, Jay White aid he was not allowing Anderson and Gallows back in the group. Don Callis then noted that it should be White asking for permission to join the Elite. So, tension has been brewing between the two stables.

    The rivalry brewing between the Elite and Bullet Club spilled over onto Twitter recently. Anderson Tweeted out a photo “The Elite Squad” from Fight for the Fallen leading to the exchange with Tama.

    This led to Tama Tonga responding with the following:

    “I would argue with you, but we’re past that. Your good brother philosophy is shallow deep. The day is coming,” Tonga Tweeted.

    Anderson then responded, asking Tonga to not make him “Kill what I created.”

    “Don’t do this Tama.. I’ve been holdin off on Killin the Bullet Club for good. Please don’t make me kill what I created. I’m beggin u”

  • Booker T Praises Nick Gage, Says Other Wrestlers Can Learn From Him

    Booker T Praises Nick Gage, Says Other Wrestlers Can Learn From Him

    Nick Gage’s recent performances in GCW and AEW have gotten a lot of people talking. One of those people is Booker T. He mentioned on his Hall of Fame show recently that if more wrestlers were like Nick Gage, the industry would be better off for it.

    “I’ll tell you this. Nick Gage, I have never met this dude before in my life. But I’ll tell you, if everyone in this business had the same thought process as a Nick Gage, the business would be in a much, much better place,” Booker said.

    “This guy, Nick Gage, you pull up photos of this guy, and you’ll never gonna see him smiling in any of them. He’s got the same look on his face in every photo, in every picture I have ever seen him in. There is not a picture of him being happy. It’s a picture of a guy who’s getting ready to go into a deathmatch, each and every night. He’s the real deal.”

    Booker T Praises Nick Gage

    40-year-old Nick Gage is a 21-year pro, having first made his debut in February of 1999. He was trained by the CZW school and John Zandig. Gage is a 4x CZW World Champion and was inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame in 2009.

    “The guys in WWE, Impact Wrestling, AEW – they can learn a whole lot from Nick Gage, and that’s just my opinion. I don’t know a lot about him, but when someone sees something different about you in this business, it’s uncanny.”

    Booker continued to say he’s not actually seen Gage wrestle, but that doesn’t impact his opinion. Gage feels different, serious and real, and that is what is appealing about him to Booker.

    “I’ve never watched one match. But I know when you look at this dude, he isn’t the guy you’re gonna walk up on and say, ‘What about that wrestling stuff ya’ll do?’ Because he might hit you. He’s the real deal. If everybody walked along that same line and took it as serious as this guy does, it would be a much better place.”

    H/T transcriptions via 411 Mania

  • Jon Moxley Believes Domino’s Needs To ‘Chill Out’

    Jon Moxley Believes Domino’s Needs To ‘Chill Out’

    Jon Moxley recently joined Cincy 3:60 to promote an upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite scheduled for September 8 in his hometown of Cincinnati.

    The former AEW champion talked about a number of things during his appearance and commented on their recent controversy with Domino’s.

    The pizza chain threatened to pull their ads from AEW programming over a spot on last week’s Dynamite. Talking about it, Mox said that the company needs to child out:

    “Domino’s Pizza needs to chill out. They need to chill man.”

    “It was a coincidence. You know what? Jump on the bandwagon man. You don’t think Nick Gage can sell some pizzas for you? Come on. You know that the Noid is played out at this point and you’re bringing back the Noid? Come on.”

    For those who don’t know, the Fight For The Fallen special of Dynamite featured a No DQ match between Chris Jericho and Nick Gage. A spot in the bout saw Gage busting Jericho open with a pizza cutter.

    A Domino’s ad appeared on the screen right after this. Many speculated that the pizza chain may have partnered with AEW for the spot but they released a statement, denying any involvement in it.

  • Free To Attend Premiere Party Announced For Rampage In Chicago

    Free To Attend Premiere Party Announced For Rampage In Chicago

    AEW has announced a free-to-attend premiere party for Rampage in Chicago taking place on August 13 from the Replay Lincoln Park bar.

    The party hosted by Warrior Wrestling’s Nick Hausman will feature many festivities including AEW swag giveaways, AEW trivia, WWF WrestleMania arcade and pinball competition, and more:

    The party will start a couple of hours before the premiere of AEW’s second TV show Rampage that will be taking place from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

    This is an interesting announcement from AEW, especially since the second episode of their new TV show will also be taking place in Chicago from the United Center just a week later on August 20.

    Though that won’t be all as the promotion is set to hold 4 more shows in the Chicago area after the mentioned Rampage episode which includes the All Out PPV event from Now Arena on September 5th.

    Reports suggest that Chicago native CM Punk has agreed to make his wrestling return for AEW. Many expect him to make his comeback during one of these shows.

    Whether or not this turns out to be the case will be seen in the future but it’s clear that fans will be in for another fun wrestling night during the upcoming premiere party.

  • Nick Gage On Domino’s Pizza Controversy: “Guess I’m Too Ultraviolent For TV, Oh Well”

    Nick Gage On Domino’s Pizza Controversy: “Guess I’m Too Ultraviolent For TV, Oh Well”

    Domino’s Pizza recently released a statement to Front Office Sports regarding the deathmatch between Chris Jericho and Nick Gage at Fight for the Fallen.

    “We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward,” the pizza company’s statement reads.

    Nick Gage recently took to Twitter to “apologize” to Domino’s.

    “i tried to cut jerichos scalp off my bad TMZ it is what it is but yeah thanks aew and thanks all MDK gang members we showed em whats up and also sorry dominos didnt mean to offend you guess im too ultraviolent for tv oh well all my new fans come see me at GCW its MDK all fn day,” Gage Tweeted.

    https://twitter.com/thekingnickgage/status/1421150941437472771

    Meanwhile, Pabst Blue Ribbon seems to have really enjoyed the match. They have been posting to Twitter in the hopes of picking up Dominos’ advertising spots.

    PBR seems to want to join MDK.

    Gage was just the “2nd Labor of Jericho” as part of his feud with MJF. The 3rd Labor of Jericho will take place next week. Jericho is scheduled to face his former WCW rival Juventud Guerrera on the show.

  • AEW & Upper Deck Announce Trading Card and Memorabilia Deal

    AEW & Upper Deck Announce Trading Card and Memorabilia Deal

    AEW and Upper Deck are announcing an exclusive trading card and memorabilia deal today. The first AEW trading cards will be released in November of 2021. It will be the first time Upper Deck produces trading cards for professional wrestlers.

    “We are excited to offer professional wrestling trading cards to our collectors and AEW fans for the first time,” said Upper Deck Sports Brand Manager, Paul Zickler. “AEW is a prominent organization in the industry with a passionate fan base, and we look forward to building a long-lasting relationship and a robust wrestling product portfolio.”

    Upper Deck representatives spoke about the deal below:

    “Upper Deck is the premier collectibles company in the world for trading cards and memorabilia, and we’re thrilled to work with them in expanding our engagement even further with fans around the world,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “Since day one, we’ve made it a priority to listen to our fans and connect with them in new and immersive ways.”

    The cards will be available at retail outlets and online. An online marketplace will provide a place for fans to buy, sell, and trade cards as well.

    Fans are encouraged to sign up for exclusive updates on Upper Deck’s website here.

  • Strong Demand For AEW Rampage Chicago Pre-Sale

    Strong Demand For AEW Rampage Chicago Pre-Sale

    A ticket pre-sale was held Friday morning for the upcoming AEW Rampage: The First Dance event from Chicago’s United Center arena on August 20th. Despite the short notice and a saturated market, AEW is looking at another successful showing at the box office.

    AEW sold over 10,000 tickets within a matter of hours. @WrestleTix estimates the production setup will make for a sell-out crowd of around 13,000. It was ambitious, but this will be a packed house.

    AEW Rampage: The First Dance

    The stakes are high for AEW’s debut at the United Center. The show was announced on Wednesday’s Dynamite, leaving just three weeks for AEW to sell a respectable amount of seats. It will be the second episode of AEW Rampage, which premieres Friday, August 13th at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT.

    Of course, this is not your typical television taping. Wrestling fans are expecting the highly anticipated debut of CM Punk, based on some not-so-subtle hints by AEW. The United Center is the largest basketball/hockey arena in the United States, so

    Tickets for AEW Rampage: The First Dance go on sale to the general public this coming Monday at Ticketmaster.com.

    Follow @WrestleTix on Twitter and Patreon for more wrestling ticket sales info.

  • Update On Changed Plans For AEW All Out Main Event

    Update On Changed Plans For AEW All Out Main Event

    At AEW Fight for the Fallen, The Elite defeated Hangman Page and the Dark Order in a 10-man elimination tag match. The loss knocks Page out of the title picture for All Out on September 5th. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Page vs Omega for the title had once been the plan for the show, however.

    “Adam Page is not getting the main event for All Out with Kenny Omega. At one point it was the plan but plans change. The ten-man tag was designed to shock people when they veered off that match,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

    As for who is getting the title shot at All Out, only speculation can be had. Christian Cage is ranked #3 and could possibly be in the mix. Other names thrown around include Eddie Kingston.

    Darby Allin is ranked #4 as well. #1 Hangman Page is out of the running, #2 Jungle Boy was already defeated by Omega, and #5 Orange Cassidy was in a triple threat title match against Omega on the last PPV. It’s possible someone from outside the top-5 could earn a title shot between now and the PPV, however.

    Page also fell out of title contention before the last PPV as well. After going several week ranked at #1, Page lost a key match to Brian Cage on Dynamite. He would go on to avenge that loss at Double or Nothing, however, putting him back in title contention.

    “They were pushing Christian Cage for a title match next. Whether that’s for TV in a few weeks or PPV should be clear pretty soon.”

  • Sean Waltman On CM Punk And Daniel Bryan Coming To AEW

    Sean Waltman On CM Punk And Daniel Bryan Coming To AEW

    Reports of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk being close to joining the AEW roster have created a lot of buzz in recent weeks. It has got a lot of people talking and Sean Waltman recently joined the list.

    The former WWE star talked about these rumors on the latest episode of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast and claimed that the news is exciting.

    Waltman explained that while these signings will not hurt WWE, it will definitely help AEW. The former champion claimed that it’s gonna be ‘a f**king game changer’:

    “It’s exciting. It’s just good for everyone, It doesn’t hurt WWE, I don’t think. It definitely helps AEW. They already have some really good momentum as far as I’m concerned. It’s gonna be a f**king game changer.

    The difference is one is just a publicly-traded company that’s just f**king monstrous.” said Sean Waltman, “It’s huge, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. That’s why I don’t think this necessarily hurts them. It just helps AEW, and it f**king helps the industry.”

    The former DX member also discussed if it would have been better if these signings were kept a secret. The Attitude Era star compared them to the time when The Outsiders’ moved to WCW.

    Waltman explained that even though people were aware of the duo jumping ships, it made their arrival even more impactful because of the anticipation it built.

  • Domino’s Issues Statement On Pizza Cutter Spot On AEW Dynamite

    Domino’s Issues Statement On Pizza Cutter Spot On AEW Dynamite

    Chris Jericho and Nick Gage put on a brutal but impressive match on this week’s episode of Dynamite. Though it appears that the pizza cutter spot in the bout didn’t go over very well with Domino’s.

    The company released a statement to Front Office Sports regarding the spot. In the statement as seen below, spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre-Petko said that they are assessing their advertising presence on the show:

    “We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward,”

    For those who don’t know, the Fight For The Fallen special of Dynamite saw former AEW champion Chris Jericho taking on hardcore wrestler Nick Gage in a No Disqualifications match.

    There was one point in the bout where Gage used a pizza cutter on his opponent. Right after he cut open Jericho’s head, the broadcast went into split-screen mode.

    The second screen featured a Domino’s commercial with an image of a pizza being sliced. This got a lot of attention on social media.

    Many people wondered if the two companies worked together for the spot. Though this report makes it clear that the pizza delivery chain was not involved and it appears that they didn’t have any prior knowledge of it either.

    https://twitter.com/trillmoregirls/status/1420740036841050113
  • AEW Rampage At Chicago’s United Center Will Test AEW’s Popularity

    AEW Rampage At Chicago’s United Center Will Test AEW’s Popularity

    All Elite Wrestling revealed a new event that will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

    AEW announced yesterday during AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen that Rampage will occur on August 20th at the United Center. AEW also indicated that the August 20th event would be significant by advertising it as Rampage “The First Dance.”

    Rampage marks AEW’s fourth show that takes place in Illinois. AEW also announced that tickets go on sale on Monday.

    AEW Schedule in Chicago

    The August 20th Rampage event will be AEW’s first big event in Chicago this year. Their last Chicago show was AEW Revolution on February 29, 2020, at the Wintrust Arena. However, it comes as a surprise as AEW already announced a Dynamite show on September 1st, Rampage on September 3rd, and All-Out on September 5th, which would occur in the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

    Tickets for the September AEW shows in Illinois went on sale to the public on July 9th. Both the Dynamite and Rampage show still have tickets on sale on Ticketmaster, while All Out has sold out.

    With the addition of Rampage on August 20th, AEW seems confident that it can sell out all four events. However, this will be an ambitious act by AEW to sell out the United Center on two weeks’ notice. The United Center can have over 20,000 capacity crowd and will be the biggest venue AEW has run.

    CM Punk Rumors

    The announcement of “The Last Dance” has created speculation if former WWE Superstar CM Punk has signed with AEW. He is a well-known native of Chicago, Illinois, and Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that Punk was in talks for an in-ring return with AEW. However, the company has yet to confirm Punk is signed. It’s also unclear if AEW signed Punk if they’d reveal the news to help boost sales for August 20th or make it a surprise if he was to appear.

  • Juventud Guerrera Comments On AEW Debut Next Week

    Juventud Guerrera Comments On AEW Debut Next Week

    Maxwell Jacob Friedman announced that Chris Jericho’s rival from WCW, Juventud Guerrera, will be the “3rd Labor of Jericho” next week. Juvi took to Twitter to comment on his match next week.

    https://twitter.com/JUVENTUDGUERRE2/status/1420578455054389249

    Chris Jericho vs Juventud Guerrera History

    In WCW, Jericho and Juventud Guerrera had 22 singles matches against each other, were in 2 tag matches with each other, and were also in 3 battle royals together. Of their 22 singles matches, 11 were on house shows and 11 were on television. Of the 11 televised matches, Jericho holds an 8-3 advantage in the series. Jericho also holds a 9-2 lead in their house show series, giving him a 17-5 edge in their head to head series.

    In WCW, Juvi is a 3x former WCW Cruiserweight Champion and once held the tag belts along with Rey Mysterio. Juvi also won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship once. In WWE, Juvi twice won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship as well. Subscribers to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted Juvi the Best High Flyer of the year in both 1998 and 1999.

  • Jon Moxley Hints at Possible G1 Climax Participation

    Jon Moxley Hints at Possible G1 Climax Participation

    For several months now, Jon Moxley has been trying to goad Hiroshi Tanahashi into a fight. His efforts were in vain. Now, just one week after losing the belt, Tanahashi appears on AEW Dynamite and issuing a challenge to the new champion.

    Jon Moxley is not known for being a calm or patient man. An act of such disrespect is not going to be taken lightly. Mox has already vented his frustration with NJPW. Claiming they have been reluctant to invite him over to Japan. Saying he has sent stacks of contracts over to the promotion, trying to force through a run and a feud with Tanahashi.

    Very few things in wrestling happen without planning, even rejections and moments of flat-out silence. AEW are known for their long-term planning and have shown solid abilities in storytelling. Who knows how long this moment has been in the offing?

    One thing that looks as good as certain is that both Jon Moxley and Lance Archer are Japan bound. The question is, what will they do when they get there?

    Jon Moxley Needs a Fresh Direction Following Title Loss

    It is safe to say that right now, Jon Moxley is out of the AEW title pictures. He lost his feud to Omega and the Elite. Both have moved on to new things. For Mox however, he has nothing right now. After taking some time off following the birth of his daughter, he is ready for a new challenge.

    With AEW currently running with major storylines, a run out in Japan could be exactly what the Death Rider needs. With the G1 tournament coming up, it could give him the chance to both rebuild his character, get his feud with Tanahashi, and give the Japanese public another look at Mox up close and personal.

    There is no denying Jon Moxley’s popularity in Japan. Moreover, with several big stars already out of G1 contention, it could be a great time for NJPW to honor their part of the forbidden door arrangement and bring some AEW talent to its shores.

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi Makes Shock AEW Debut Challenging Lance Archer

    Hiroshi Tanahashi Makes Shock AEW Debut Challenging Lance Archer

    We have seen several different NJPW stars appear on AEW Dynamite in recent months including Yuji Nagata, Rocky Romero and Hikuleo. However, it was a very different calibre of NJPW star that got fans exciting. The Ace himself, Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared and challenged Lance Archer to a match for the IWGP United States Championship.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CR5F2mepdSz/

    Hiroshi Tanahashi is a wrestling legend and revered in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He has held every title he could hold in NJPW. With the exception of the United States Championship. It’s worth noting that Tanahashi is a heavyweight, and as such cannot compete for certain titles in the promotion.

    The United States Championship is one of the newest NJPW belts and has only been in circulation since 2017. In that time it has largely been held by gaijin wrestlers. By challenging Lance Archer, Hiroshi Tanahashi wants to become the first Japanese wrestler to hold the crown.

    Hiroshi Tanahashi Has Wrestled His Entire Career for NJPW

    In an industry where people move around from promotion to promotion with some regularity, Hiroshi Tanahashi is something of a unique entity. A product of the NJPW system, he has wrestled his entire career in the promotion.

    With the exception of an excursion to CMLL – part of the NJPW learning process – and a few appearances for TNA/IMPACT. Even these appearances came as an NJPW athlete. Now, he has stepped through the forbidden door and made a surprise appearance for AEW.

    Not only is Tanahashi aiming to become the first Japanese holder of the US title, but he is also looking to bring it back into the NJPW promotion. Ever since Jon Moxley’s first title reign, no NJPW contracted wrestler has held the belt.

    This undoubtedly sits badly with an NJPW stalwart such as Hiroshi Tanahashi and will only give him extra motivation to bring the belt home.

  • David Crockett to Reunite With Tony Schiavone on AEW Commentary

    David Crockett to Reunite With Tony Schiavone on AEW Commentary

    In professional wrestling, teams and allegiances come and go. They form and they fall apart. It’s the nature of storytelling. However, some relationships run deep and to the bone. Last night on Dynamite one such deep running reunion was seen. Wrestling legend David Crockett was spotted in the AEW Dynamite crowd, and it was shortly thereafter confirmed that he will be joining the AEW commentary team as a guest next week.

    David Crockett will guest host AEW Dark Elevation alongside Tony Schiavone. This will be a commentary reunion some thirty plus years in the making.  Schiavone and Crockett were the voices of World Championship Wrestling while it was part of Jim Crockett Promotions.

    The pair worked as a team from 1985 through to 1988. Following the acquisition of WCW by Turner media in 1988 David Crockett left the commentary booth. While he remained involved in wrestling serving as a WCW Producer.

    David Crockett Making a Historic Wrestling Return

    David Crockett left wrestling when WCW closed its doors, having remained in a producer role the entire time. His appearance in the commentary booth for AEW Dark Elevation will be his first real commentary appearance since 1988.

    It is one of those quiet wrestling stories that will be an undeniably emotional experience for the men in the commentary booth. After Fight for the Fallen AEW tweeted out a picture of Crockett, Schiavone and Jim Ross.

    The trio worked together briefly in 1988 just prior to the Turner acquisition. The emotion of the night will surely be heightened when considering that David Crockett’s brother Jim Crockett Jr passed away earlier this year.

    It is most likely that the return of David Crockett to the commentary booth is just a one-time affair, however, for wrestling fans, that doesn’t matter. There is an undeniable lineage that can be traced from AEW back to this commentary duo. One that deserves to be honored and celebrated.

  • Update On Cash Wheeler After Injury On Dynamite

    Update On Cash Wheeler After Injury On Dynamite

    AEW star Cash Wheeler suffered a nasty injury during FTR’s tag team match against Santana & Ortis during Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

    The AEW star was seen bleeding heavily from one of his arms. It made fans wonder about him after the show. PWinsider has provided some updates on his status.

    The site notes that Wheeler suffered what was described as a ‘really bad cut’ to his arm when he was shoved off the ropes during a spot in the match.

    The incident occurred when FTR were attempting a superplex/splash combo. Santana broke the spot and sent the injured star off the top to the floor.

    His arm connected with the metal piece between the ring post and turnbuckles, causing the cut. The heavyweight star was immediately treated by the medical staff at the ringside. He was said to be ok in the back afterward.

    The officials decided to cut to the finish of the match after Cash Wheeler’s injury. His partner Dax Harwood picked up the victory for his team using a brainbuster.

    There is no word yet on if the injury will cause the former WWE star to miss any ring time. We will keep you posted about any updates on his health.

  • Cody Rhodes On Wanting To Face Former WCW Champion

    Cody Rhodes On Wanting To Face Former WCW Champion

    Former TNT champion Cody Rhodes recently had an interview with the Inside The Ropes magazine for its latest issue where he discussed many different topics.

    AEW has signed a number of wrestling veterans in past year. Legendary names that have joined their roster includes people such as Paul Wight, Christian, and more.

    However, if there is one star Rhodes is interested in facing more than all others, it’s Sting. During the interview, Cody said that while the idea hasn’t been discussed creatively, he still hopes to have a match with the Icon in future:

    “I absolutely was adamant about wanting to do a match with him and it’s not something that’s been discussed or contracted or anything like that but, while he’s here, I still would hope that it happens,

    He’s such a huge part of who I am and he was such a d*ck to me on the second week when he showed up,” said Cody Rhodes, “and I love that. And I love his love for my dad as well.”

    The former WWE star said that Sting is a big part of the company. He explained having people like Sting and Jack Evans signed to the promotion at the same time is an example of how diverse AEW’s roster is.

    Apart from this, Cody Rhodes gave AEW president Tony Khan the credit for signing Sting to the company. He also discussed things such as the process of getting the former WCW star cleared for his in-ring return and more.

  • Eric Bischoff Believes That Nick Gage’s Wrestling Style is “Bad for The Business”

    Eric Bischoff Believes That Nick Gage’s Wrestling Style is “Bad for The Business”

    Former WCW President and co-host of the 83 Weeks Podcast Eric Bischoff recently discussed the deathmatch style of wrestling on the show.

    Specifically, Bischoff would bring up Nick Gage and his style, referencing the recently Dark Side of The Ring episode focusing on the Deathmatch King.

    “I just don’t think that kind of thing [works],” Bischoff began. “Number one, it doesn’t interest me, that style of wrestling. I think it’s bad for the industry in general, I think it appeals to such a small portion of the audience that a larger portion of the audience is turned off by it.”

    “Those guys that love that, we saw it the other night with [Jon] Moxley and whatever his name was [Lance Archer]” Bischoff added. “They were digging at each other with a fork. Alright, cool, whatever. For me, I won’t watch that kind of stuff. Number one it’s not entertaining, there’s nothing magic about it.”

    Eric Bischoff on Deathmatches

    “When Dark Side of the Ring focuses too much on that story, I think it gives the entire industry a bad name,” Bischoff continued, discussing Nick Gage and his deathmatch style. “Passive wrestling audience, the advertising community, the television network executive community, when people see that kind of thing they walk away with a perception of what wrestling is. That perception becomes harmful in the long run.”

    “I get it, I love the storytelling I see out of the Dark Side for the most part, but when you get too dark like that, I just think it’s not good for the business long term overall” Eric Bischoffc concluded. “The Jake Roberts story for example was dark, that was hard to watch but I don’t think it hurt the business.”

  • AEW Stars Contacting Journalists About CM Punk and Bryan Danielson

    AEW Stars Contacting Journalists About CM Punk and Bryan Danielson

    The rumors surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have reached boiling point over the past few weeks.

    Whilst the news of both Punk and Bryan negotiating with All Elite took fans by surprise, it also appears to have taken some of the wrestlers themselves have been contacting journalists to get more information on the situation.

    Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport and formerly WrestleTalk confirmed that he had been contacted by wrestlers at All Elite wondering what exactly is going on with Punk and Bryan.

    AEW stars on CM Punk and Bryan

    “Despite knowing nothing about this before Sean broke the news last week, I had more than one AEW wrestle reach out to me last week to ask about CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson coming in” Dangoor wrote on Twitter. “So it looks like it caught wrestlers by surprise too.”

    https://twitter.com/TheLouisDangoor/status/1420465871437324289

    Right now there is no official confirmation either way as to whether or not CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson will be heading to All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan recently refused to comment on the situation, purely saying that the rumors are ‘exciting.’

  • Tony Khan Refutes Story About AEW EVPs Travelling To Chicago

    Tony Khan Refutes Story About AEW EVPs Travelling To Chicago

    Recent reports suggested that AEW President Tony Khan and AEW’s EVPs recently traveled to Chicago. The report speculated that this could have something to do with AEW eyeing a bigger venue in the city. According to comments made by Tony Khan on Busted Open Radio, however, the report was “pure fiction.”

    “There’s been a lot of false rumors out there, that’s the other thing, there are people chasing these things and trying to connect the dots,” Khan said on the show. “I know a lot of the stuff that has been reported in the last week has been totally false.”

    “There’s this website BodySlam, for example, I saw them put a report out that myself and all the EVPs had traveled this past weekend and it was total BS. None of us were even in the same state,” Khan said.

    Khan continued to say that he was in Florida for Paige VanZant’s bare-knuckled boxing fight when he saw the report. He continued to say that his family’s private jet had been tracked but it was his parents who were on it at the time.

    “It was total fiction. They tracked my family’s plane, it was my parents on the plane! And then the guy claimed ‘oh, I know which tail number is yours and which one’s your parents,’ it was total fiction and this guy got totally bamboozled by a fake source and it was embarrassing and there’s been a lot of fake reporting like that the last couple of weeks,” Khan continued.

    Khan’s comments were posted to Twitter below:

    https://twitter.com/Machobeard4life/status/1420419551427276800
  • Tony Khan: “There Are Certainly A Lot Of Exciting Rumors Right Now”

    Tony Khan: “There Are Certainly A Lot Of Exciting Rumors Right Now”

    Tony Khan was recently interviewed by the NY Post and did a solid job of not answering questions relating to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. The AEW President would state, however, that “there are certainly a lot of exciting rumors right now.”

    When asked if he had “signed and/or talked to any former WWE champions” lately, Khan was quick to say there were some things he would not be commenting on during the interivew.

    “I have no comment on those, but those are good questions but I can’t comment on those,” Khan said.

    Khan was then asked what it would mean if another wrestling promotion were to sign CM Punk and/or Daniel Bryan.

    “I can’t comment on those two guys, but I think there are certainly a lot of exciting rumors right now,” Khan said.

    Tony Khan on Fight for the Fallen

    Tony Khan would comment on what Fight for the Fallen has come to mean for AEW over the last few years. This will be the 3rd event in its history.

    “I think it’s one of our major events — the charitable component really makes it stand out — and an important event on the calendar, and it’s something we’ve done from the beginning. It predates even ‘Dynamite.’ We always load it up with big matches, I always try to put a lot of great matches on a “Fight for the Fallen” card, but also now it will have an extra special touch to it because the event is also about helping people.”

    6 matches and 2 segments have been announced for tonight. In addition to the matches below, Tony Khan will announce a new AEW live event and Ricky Starks will have a celebration segment for winning the FTW title.

    1. Christian Cage & The Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus) vs. The Hardy Family Office(Angelico, Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
    2. Julia Hart vs Thunder Rosa
    3. Five Labours Of Jericho #2 No Disqualification Match
      Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
    4. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) (w/Tully Blanchard) vs. The Inner Circle (Ortiz & Santana) (w/Konnan)
    5. IWGP United States Championship
      Lance Archer (c) vs. Hikuleo
    6. 10-Man Elimination Match
      Adam Page & The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, Evil Uno, John Silver & Stu Grayson) vs. The Elite (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
  • AEW Making Contingency Plans Amid Rising COVID Rates

    AEW Making Contingency Plans Amid Rising COVID Rates

    With COVID-19 cases rising in the United States and new mask and virus testing mandates being made in some areas, there is reportedly concern within AEW about upcoming shows being disrupted.

    According to a report from Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, AEW has begun to have conversations regarding contingency plans should shows in Chicago, New York, St. Louis and elsewhere not be able to run as planned. These discussions are said to have increased over the last week. The concern is that there could eventually be limits on large gatherings in addition to the new mask and virus testing mandates being made.

    Amongst the contingency plans being discussed is returning to shows from Daily’s Place. AEW will be back in the Jacksonville, Florida venue next week regardless for the AEW Dynamite: Homecoming show. Malakai Black vs Cody Rhodes, and Miro defending the TNT title against Lee Johnson have been scheduled for that card.

    Tonight’s AEW will emanate from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. The August 11th edition of Dynamite will be from Pittsburgh. AEW closes out August with trips to Houston on the 18th and Milwaukee on the 25th. AEW will then be in Chicago on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th of September. Dynamite on the 8th of September will be in Cincinnati before AEW closes out the month with shows from Newark, Queens and Rochester.

  • Ryo Mizunami Hospitalized After Testing Positive for COVID 19

    Ryo Mizunami Hospitalized After Testing Positive for COVID 19

    The professional wrestling industry is starting to get on its feet following the pandemic. Live crowds are beginning to return to events around the world. However, Covid 19 is still around, and it is still a threat. AEW star Ryo Mizunami recently tested positive for Covid 19 and is currently receiving hospital treatment.

    The news was confirmed by Ryo Mizunami on her Twitter account.

    The statement confirms Mizunami going to the hospital on her doctor’s orders after undergoing a PCR test. Doctors admitted Ryo Mizunami with an initial diagnosis of Pneumonia.

    For AEW fans, this news brings back memories of Brodie Lee, after his passing in December 2020. While his illness was non-covid related, comparisons will always be made. Mizunami last competed for AEW in April before returning to Japan in June.

    Ryo Mizunami Just One Joshi Star to Test Positive in New Spate of Infections

    The world of Joshi wrestling is different to many American organizations. The women of Japanese wrestling often compete on multiple promotions, travelling and mixing with many different stars. The news of Ryo Mizunami testing positive is just one in a recent spate of positive results in the Joshi world.

    Since returning to Japan, Mizunami has competed for several different promotions including SEAdLINNNG, Gatoh Move, and Sendai Girls. Her most recent appearance for SEAdLINNNG on 22nd July. It was a 6-person tag match. Two others involved have also tested positive following the event.

    The pandemic is still rife in Japan, and with the close proximity within which the stars all work, the spread of infections is higher.

    Everybody at SESCOOPS wishes Ryo Mizunami a healthy and speedy recovery. She cut a popular figure during her AEW run, and will be a welcome name on any roster in the future.